by V. Vaughn
Chapter 14
Ryan
* * *
Barry finding Chrissy and me on the side of the road would be considered lucky if he and I weren’t werebear and destiny wasn’t doing everything she could to make sure Chrissy chooses to be with me. In addition to being a werebear, Barry has magical powers, which he used to make Chrissy’s pancakes taste better than any she’d ever had. He’s also going to work some magic on the police, although I’m not sure how. But if he can find a way to delay Chrissy going to the authorities until after Christmas and she’s agreed to be my mate, I’m all for it.
Chrissy’s strong soprano voice pairs nicely with Barry’s deep baritone, and I enjoy the music they make in the truck as they sing Christmas carols. I sing along too since they insisted, but I keep my voice soft enough it doesn’t ruin the sound. When we finish “Jingle Bells,” Chrissy lets out a rush of air before she says, “This is the best road trip I’ve ever taken.” But then her smile turns to a frown. “Shouldn’t we be in St. Pete by now?”
“Well, darn it,” Barry says. “I drove right past the turn.” He grins at Chrissy. “I was enjoying our singing.”
She lets out a small sigh. “That was fun, but I really need to turn myself in, Barry. I’m sorry to be a nuisance.”
“Not at all, dear girl. We’ll hit up the next detachment in Vinehaven.”
A few minutes later Barry turns off the highway and drives us through a small town. Chrissy reaches for my hand, and I squeeze her fingers to let her know I’ll support her in any way she wishes. And when she squeezes back, I feel her fear in the tight grip. I want so badly to stay with her.
Barry slows down to turn into the detachment and stops near the door.
I take Chrissy’s face in my hands. “I’ll be back tomorrow as soon as I can.”
She nods at me as I notice Barry smiling behind her. He winks at me and lifts his hand like he did to spell Chrissy’s pancakes earlier. I force myself not to smile back as I wonder what he just did, but I trust it’s going to make things go a lot more smoothly for my mate. I get out of the truck to walk to the door of the building with her.
She stops moving when we get close enough to read the sign. She says, “Per order of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, all detachments will be closed until December 26. Happy Holidays.” She knits her brow. “Seriously? They’re closed for Christmas?”
I shrug while trying to hide a smile. “I guess so.”
She lets out a small huff and walks quickly over to Barry’s side of the car carrier. “It’s closed. Is this something Canadian’s usually do? Isn’t there any crime on Christmas?”
“I suppose around these parts there might not be,” he says. “Want me to try another town?”
“The sign says all detachments are closed.” She turns to me. “Don’t you think that’s odd?”
I pretend I’m surprised. “It must be a Canadian thing.” I chuckle. “It makes me want to move here.”
She lets out a sigh and then smiles at me. “I guess you’re going to get your elf after all.”
“Now that’s the spirit,” Barry says. “Get back in and let’s go bring Arctic Point some Christmas.”
We drive most of the day to get to Arctic Point, with a quick stop for sandwiches so we’ll get there in time for dinner. It’s dark by the time we arrive at the home of the clan alpha, Tom Caron. His wife Melody greets us at the door, and she and Tom step outside to see the damage to my truck.
“Goodness,” Melody says as she pushes a strand of loose hair away from her face. “You’re lucky you two are okay.” She looks at Chrissy, “No aftereffects?”
“Not a one.” Chrissy smiles at Melody. “I love your sweater.”
The older woman chuckles as she glances down at a sweater covered in holiday adornments similar to a patchwork quilt. “Thank you. I’ve been wearing it every year for over two decades. It wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without it.”
“I love that tradition,” Chrissy says. She looks at me. “I might need a Christmas sweater, too.”
“You definitely do.” I turn to Tom. “What do you think about the truck?”
“I think my mechanics ought to be able to fix it.”
Barry says, “Well, that’s good news. Where should I drop it?”
Tom gives him directions to an auto body shop while Melody returns to the inside of the house. When Barry moves to leave, Chrissy steps forward and gives him a big hug. She gazes up at the large man. “Thank you so much for everything, Barry. I don’t know what we’d have done without you.”
“You’re very welcome, Chrissy. Don’t stop singing. That voice of yours deserves to be heard.”
I slap my hand in Barry’s. “Thank you. You saved my Christmas. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask.”
He pulls me into a one-armed hug and whispers so that Chrissy can’t hear. “Claim her before she gets away.”
I pull back and smile at him. “That’s my plan.”
Melody comes running out of the house with a basket full of colorful glass jars of food. “Tell Carol I send my love.”
“And your famous strawberry-rhubarb jam.” Barry says as he takes the basket. Jars rattle as he inspects them. “Apple butter? Carol is going to be thrilled.”
“It’s the least I can do to thank you for making sure Ryan got here to save our Christmas.” She steps close to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”
Barry smiles fondly at her. “Any time.” As he moves to the car carrier, he holds up a hand. “Merry Christmas, everyone.”
“Merry Christmas,” we reply in unison.
Melody lets out a rush of air before she shoos us inside and out of the cold. I take in the holiday decorations that fill the house. There’s pine boughs, ribbon, and twinkling lights along with a large Christmas village set up, and a tall tree is in the corner sparkling with ornaments. The scents of cinnamon and roasting ham fill the air, and my stomach begins to growl with hunger.
“Wow,” Chrissy says as she turns in a slow circle to take it all in. “I’ve never seen such a festive home.”
“Do you like it?” Melody asks.
“I love it.” Chrissy walks over to the Christmas village with its ceramic houses glowing softly. “This is incredible. It must have taken years to accumulate all of this.”
Melody joins her. “It did.” She points to the bookstore. “Tom gave me the first building our first Christmas together, and I get a new one every year.”
“Is that where you met?”
Tom chuckles. “That’s where Melody told me that we were meant to be together. She hit me over the head with a book.”
“I did not!” She looks at Chrissy. “But I would have if he hadn’t agreed. Mates can be so obtuse.”
“Mates?” Chrissy looks at her in confusion. “Ryan uses that term too. Are you all part of the same world?”
Melody glances at me with a warning glare that makes me think of my mother, and I know that I’ve run out of time to tell Chrissy we’re werebear. “Yes, we are. But I’m going to let Ryan explain that to you.” She looks at me. “Dinner will be ready in an hour. Perhaps you’d like to take Chrissy for a walk around the farm to see all the lights before you come back and freshen up.”
In other words, Melody is telling me it’s time to let Chrissy in on the truth. And she’s right. Because there will be no way to hide the fact that she’s helping me bring Christmas to a werebear clan tomorrow. “That’s a great idea,” I say.
Chrissy glances between us with a frown, but she agrees to go. After Melody loans her a hat, mittens and a long parka closer to the right size, we step outside. She puts her mittened hand in mine and says, “Okay. Out with it. Who are you people?”
I tuck her arm into mine. “One big family that I’d like you to join.”
Chapter 15
Chrissy
* * *
When Melody suggested Ryan take me for a walk to look at holiday lights, I wanted to o
bject. What I’d rather be doing is taking a long hot bath to be followed up by putting on clean clothes, especially since I think I’m about to discover something that will rock my world harder than the last twenty-four hours have.
Snow crunches under our feet as we walk toward a red barn decorated with strands of bright lights and enough greenery that it looks almost as busy as Melody’s sweater. I tuck my arm into Ryan’s and wait for him to tell me who he really is. The longer he takes, the more nervous I get, and if I weren’t wearing mittens, he’d know my palms are sweating. We get to the barn where I see beyond it are trees covered in lights as well. They’re arranged in rows, making me think it’s an apple orchard, and the aisles make me think of how beautiful it would be for a winter wedding. As we walk, Ryan casually says, “The reason you think I’m so odd is that I’m not completely human.”
I look up at him as I continue to walk, because surprisingly, I’m not really shocked. The fact he’s not human does explain all the strange things I’ve experienced over the last day.
He stops moving and says, “I’m a werebear.”
My boots scrape over the hard-packed snow of the path as I turn to face him. I wonder what the term means, and I think about how Ryan saved my life. My protector. “Is that like a real superhero?”
“No. I’m a shifter, which means I also can take the form of a bear.”
I stare at him as I try to wrap my brain around the fact that the man before me can change into a bear. Based on his size it seems possible. He’s got to be almost seven feet tall and has the broadest shoulders I’ve ever seen. And the size of his hands is amazing. I imagine he has a bear’s strength too. “So that’s why you’re so big.” I step back, trying to imagine how he actually becomes a bear as the word werebear rolls around in my mind as if what I’m hearing doesn’t seem impossible in the real world. “Is it like being a werewolf?”
“Yes, in the sense I morph into a bear, but I can do it whenever I want to, and I’m in complete control of my actions in either of my forms.” He chuckles. “No moon involved. And we don’t think of it as a curse.”
I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly, not quite sure how I should be reacting. It’s like he’s telling me a fantasy and not truth. But then it hits me he said he belongs to a clan of werebear, and my heart stops when panic slams into me. Big, dangerous —
“Chrissy?”
I gulp and look at Ryan, the guy who took a bullet for me. I’m sure he’s safe, but the rest of his clan? “I’m fine. I’m just processing.” I think about how big Barry was and how large Melody and Tom are. “The Caron’s. They’re werebear and part of a clan like the one you belong to in Orono, right?”
“Yes. Tom and Melody are werebear. Tom is the alpha of the Caron clan.”
“Alpha.” The term makes me think of a fierce leader, not a man wearing a flannel shirt and jeans the way Tom was. And he is kind like Ryan. So was Barry, who’s just as big as the rest of them. “Barry?”
“Yes, he’s a werebear too.”
I shake my head, trying to make sense of it all. Maybe I was shot, don’t remember it, and have entered some alternate world where people can become animals. But everything else seems too real for that to be true.
“Hey,” Ryan steps forward and takes my hands as he looks down at me. “Are you okay?”
“Why is this happening to me?” But I know what he’s going to say and let out a small noise before he can answer. “Destiny?”
He nods. “The good thing is that’s why you’re still alive.”
I chuckle as I realize I’m in love with someone who isn’t human. “I’m not sure it came free of charge.”
He drops my hands. “It can be. Becoming my mate is completely up to you.”
Is it, though? I stare at Ryan, and I’m so in love that I want nothing else but to be with him. I imagine if I did leave it would be a heartbreak I might not get over. “Some choice. I can’t fathom walking away from you.”
He lets out a relieved sigh. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He steps close. “I love you, Chrissy. And I’ll do more than protect you forever. I’m devoted to making you happy every single day of your life.”
Tears fill my eyes as my heart fills with my love for him. “I want to do the same for you.” I reach up for his shoulders, and Ryan ducks down for my kiss. I lose myself in him as my worries float away. I know I’m not being rational, but when we break apart, I listen to my heart. I’ve never felt so happy or loved. “I love you, Ryan. And—”
The biggest grin covers my face, and now I’m sure I’ve lost a few brain cells somewhere. But I’ve found someone who can be mine forever, based on what Ryan has said about true-mate love, and it’s something I didn’t even believe was possible. At least not in the world I was living in before I met Ryan. But who wouldn’t want a forever love? One thing I’ve learned over the years is that you have to take an opportunity that presents itself, because if you don’t, it may never come around again. I say, “I will be your mate.”
He lifts me up off my feet and twirls me around as he lets out a whoop. “Merry Christmas to me!”
I giggle until he puts me back down. “Merry Christmas to us.” I grab his hand. “I feel like celebrating. Do you think Melody and Tom will be happy for us?”
“They will be. Let’s go tell them the news.”
I think about Erin as we walk home and wish I could call her to tell her how happy I am. But I realize that conversation is going to involve a lot more than telling her I’m in love, and it’s something that will have to be done in person. And then I remember Fred, and I let out a sigh as I worry about what will happen when I turn myself in.
Ryan says, “You’re going to be fine, Chrissy. Becoming my mate means you have a powerful network of werebear clans behind you now, and some of the best lawyers.”
“Maybe, but I don’t appear very innocent considering what I’ve done.”
“You aren’t the bad guy in all of this. I have a feeling the authorities are going to find out that the men you were involved with are in deeper than what we see on the surface. It won’t be surprising to believe they were able to trick you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
We arrive back at the Carons’ house, and Ryan moves to open the door for me. “I know I am. Do you think you can put your worry aside until after Christmas? Because I’d really like to enjoy our first one together.”
I realize he’s right. I can’t do anything until after Christmas, and I might as well make the most of the holiday instead of dwelling on a situation I can’t fix yet. Considering just the sight of Ryan makes me want to swoon, it shouldn’t be hard. The warmth of the Caron house greets me as Ryan leads us inside, and the delicious odors of dinner fill my nose. It’s like I’ve walked into a picture-perfect family Christmas like the ones I used to dream of having. Being with Ryan as a member of his clan means from now on I will. I turn to him and smile. “I can enjoy Christmas this year, because I’m with you.”
Chapter 16
Ryan
* * *
The light of morning begins to filter into my room as the sun rises, and I get up to open the shades to get a full view of the horizon in Arctic Point. The town is located on the ocean, and I gaze out over the fields of the Caron farm that lead to the water’s edge.
Melody Caron put Chrissy and I in two separate bedrooms, and I spent the night tossing and turning and wishing my mate was by my side. But not only did I respect the wishes of our host, I respected that Chrissy doesn’t have all the information she needs yet to commit herself to me fully. She has one final decision to make in order to seal our true mate bond, and it’s a big deal. It wasn’t something I wanted to tell her last night while she was adjusting to what I am. But she does need to know before we take our relationship further.
The bonding ritual to become mates for life requires I bite her. She should bite me too, but while I’m sure she’ll find that barbaric, what will happen is going to shock her. My bite
is going to cause a violent, life-altering reaction. Chrissy will begin the process to change into a werebear. It’s extremely painful and irreversible, but it’s necessary if she wants to become part of the Le Roux clan as my mate. I’m not sure how to tell her about it.
A soft knock on my door makes me sit up. “Come in.”
The door opens slowly to Chrissy holding two mugs and I detect the odor of coffee. “Black,” she says as she comes to me. “Just how you like it.”
I smile as I reach for the mug. “You remembered. And yours has cream and sugar in it.”
Her hair is messy, and the pajamas she’s wearing are rolled up at the ankles and wrists. But when she grins, I think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. “It does. Merry Christmas.”
I pat the mattress for her to sit next to me. “Merry Christmas, my love. How did you sleep?”
“Not nearly as well as I did with you.” She leans in to brush her lips against mine, and when she pulls back, I can see her cheeks are flushed. She gives me a sheepish smile.
“I missed you, too.”
I lift the covers so she can snuggle in next to me, and she asks, “So, what’s the plan for today?”
I sniff the aroma of breakfast in the air. “Bacon, eggs, and pancakes for breakfast, and then we need to go meet the clan members in the barn to hand out presents.”
“Ah, so that’s why the building was decorated so elaborately.”
“I expect after we play Santa and Mrs. Claus, Melody will be serving Christmas dinner, and we’ll be fat and happy by late afternoon.”
“That sounds like a wonderful day. Do we leave tomorrow?”
“We do,” I say, and when she looks down at her coffee I add, “Tom said he was going to sort this out for you, and between him and my alpha, Brady Le Roux, I’m sure the whole mess will be over before you know it.”
